1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for operating a continuous casting plant with a continuous casting machine, which has a stationary mold and is connected via a roller table to an equalizing furnace, The invention further relates to a device for casting strips.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
From European Reference EP 0 264 459 B1 a process is known for producing hot-rolled steel strip from continuously cast slabs. In this process in which the solidified cast strand is divided into partial pieces of equal length, and these partial pieces are fed one after another into a furnace where they are stored for a period of time before being turned over to a discharge roller table of a finishing train. The molten material for forming the cast strand is cooled in the bow beam or feeding arrangment of the continuous casting machine. The exit temperature of the cast strand at the end of the bow beam is still above 1150.degree. C. The cast strip cools on its way from the mouth of the continuous casting machine to the entrance of the storage furnace, and runs at a temperature of approximately 1150.degree. C. from the roller table into a roller path located in the storage furnace.
The plant needed to implement this process is bound to a set strand thickness and corresponding casting speed. Changes in casting parameters generally result in production declines, reduced quality and increased expense.
For example, a reduction in casting speed at a constant solidification thickness, when no cast-rolling is possible, leads to sharp temperature-output losses, due to the additional cooling of the slab in the continuous casting plant as well as to the long holding time of the strand on its way to the equalizing furnace.
In addition, because no shears are used, the cross-cutting machine known from the aforementioned document leads to high radiant losses as a result of the long process time.